The immense Chinese Nation constitutes a vast number of groups and sub-groups that vary in language, culture and often also in their customs, beliefs, clothing and culinary features. Nevertheless, most sources describing present day China stress its distinct homogeneous ethnic configuration with a majority of over 92% belonging to the Han Chinese and the remaining 8% divided among 55 officially recognized minority groups. The currently prevalent public discourse may generate the impression that the categories of both the Han and the minority groups reflect static and eternal identities existing since antiquity. Yet, a closer analysis of ethnographic and historical sources indicate, that these notions are a result of modern political and social developments. This course will trace the origins and transformations of Han identity and the processes that led to the formation of other ethnic groups. It will further examine alternative categories of cultural, national, local and familial identities in order to gain better understanding of the various facets of contemporary Chinese identity.